ABOUT THE ESSENTIAL BAKING COMPANY:
The Essential Baking Company was co-founded in 1994 by the late Jeff Fairhall and artisan baker George DePasquale, who often can be found teaching baking classes at area cooking schools. Essential was among several bakeries in the ’90s that raised the level of bread appreciation in Seattle. The bakery’s home base is located in a 14,000-square-foot building in Wallingford. A newer outlet is located in the Madison Park neighborhood. Essential alums include William Leaman, owner of Bakery Nouveau, and James Bowles, of Tall Grass Bakery.